Aluminum Pan

[pondoro]

I bought a large (18") aluminum pan from a restaraunt supply house. But my pizza does not get as brown as with my cheapo steel cookie sheets. Is there a secret to using aluminum? Or did I just make a bad purchase?

Thanks

[Pete-zza]

An aluminum pan, and especially a nice shiny one, will reflect more heat than a dark pan and require a longer bake time to achieve the same results as the dark pan. My guess is that your "cheapo" cookie sheets are fairly dark, either from prolonged use and seasoning or they are dark anodized pans.

Peter

[pondoro]

Thanks Pete. My steel pans are black. Here are more details:

I usually make thin crust at 400F in my 12-inch steel pans. When I converted to the aluminum pan (18") the cheese cooks at the same rate but the crust takes a lot longer. So I can burn the cheese waiting for the crust to finish or take it out when the cheese is done but the crust is white. Baked through, but not brown.

By the way I did increase the amount of dough to adjust for the 18" pan versus the 12" pan, so thickness is the same.

Should I increase or decrease the temperature? Or try to blacken the pan (not easy with aluminum)? Or prebake the crust for a while before adding the cheese?

Thanks

[itsinthesauce]

Do you put anything on the pans? Butter, oil, cormeal? I use aluminum for thin crost and don't have any problems. Usualy bake at 475.

[pondoro]

I use olive oil, a thick coating but not a puddle.

[itsinthesauce]

Try cutting back on the oil and adding a sprinkle of corn meal.

[lilbuddypizza]

Aluminum pans are the worst, IMHO.
Maybe just for cutting.

[itsinthesauce]

I don't have any problems, but they are perforated.

[Pete-zza]

pondoro,

You might try a longer bake at lower temperature but I don't know how well that will work to achieve the proper balance between the top and bottom bake. You may also want to try pre-baking the crust, as you suggested, but you might want to put the pre-baked and dressed pizza back in the oven without the pan to expose the bottom crust to direct heat. You may have to experiment with oven rack positioning and oven temperature to achieve the proper balance between the top and bottom bake.

Peter

[freshflour]

I used to do OK with a heavily greased (butter) aluminum pan, with a longer bake at about 450F.  I'll still use one occasionally if the dough is too sticky and I end up prebaking the crust to compensate.  Otherwise, I just use a stone.